The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that Kia is recalling select Optima sedans over a transmission shift cable problem that could cause the vehicle to roll away when the vehicle is parked.
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This new Kia Optima recall affects 2006 through 2008 model year sedans, specifically those built between September 29, 2005 and June 13, 2007 – with 70,115 vehicles involved in the recall. During the 2007 production cycle, Kia discovered the problem and changed the manufacturing process in order to try to prevent this issue. The NHTSA launched an investigation in November when they received three complaints of owners being unable to change the transmission gears because this shift cable has failed, with one of those complaints resulting in the vehicle rolling away.
What is happening with the recalled 2006-2006 Kia Optima, is that the cable connecting the shift level inside the vehicle to the transmission shift arm is breaking. Imagine that you are driving along and as you get to your destination and shift from D to P, the cable breaks – making it look from the inside of the vehicle like the vehicle is in park but the transmission is actually still in drive. If you didn’t use the emergency brake, there would be a good chance of the vehicle rolling away from the parking spot and it could cause an accident.
Kia points out that this problem has not caused any actually accidents or injuries but with over 70,000 vehicles possibly falling victim to this issue, it could pose a serious risk – especially as these vehicles continue to get older. This recall is expected to commence later this month and the Kia Optima owners will be asked to return to their local dealership, where a technician will inspect the shift cable and replace it if needed.
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